Automatic switch-operating device.



PATENTED NOV. 1, 1904.

D. PAMP. AUTOMATIC SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED JIjNE 15,1904.

N0 MODEL.

ilftiwsses 7? UNITED STATES Patented November 1, 1904.

PATENT OEErcE.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,974, dated November1, 1904.

Application filed June 15, 1904. Serial No. 212.631. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANNE PAMP, a subject of the King of Sweden andNorway, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and

State of Pennsylvania, have invented acertain new and useful Improvementin Automatic stand how to make and use the same, the construction andoperation will now be described in detail, referringto the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is aplan view of the apparatus located between the car-rails; Fig. 2, alongitudinal section through a portion of a car and a portion of theroad-bed, showing my apparatus in a position for operating the switch;Fig. 3, a front elevation of the apparatus carried by the car and across-section through the apparatus located in the road-bed.

- A represents the movable member of the switch.

B is a guideway located in between the two tracks, and this guideway isprovided with the two slots C, and pivoted below the guide-- way-plate Bis the wedge-shape plate D, pivoted at the point D to the guideway, andto the free end of the plate D is connected the movable member A of theswitch by means of the link E. hen the switch is closed, one of theinclined sides of the plate I) will cross one of the slots C, and whenthe switch is open the other side of the plate D will cross the otherslot 0. Therefore by passing a flat blade through one of the slots Cwhich is crossed by the plate D said blade coming in contact with theinclined side of the plate D will move the plate D over, and therebymove the movable member A of the switch.

F is the flat blade utilized for operating the switch, and this blade issecured to a collar G, which collar is feathered upon the shaft H, sothat said collar may slide upon the shaft, but will be caused to rotatetherewith.

I represents bearings depending from the platform of the car in whichthe shaft H is journaled.

The collar G is provided with an annular groove G, in which is adaptedto rest a finger J, which finger is connected to a doubletreadlefoot-lever K, extending above the platform of the car. This lever K ispivoted at the point K, and by pressing downward upon one of thetreadles the collar G and blade F. may be forced to the limit of theirmovement in one direction, and by pressing upon the other treadle theymay be forced to the 'limit of their movement in the opposite direction,so that the blade may be moved in a position above either one of theslots G.

L is a crank-arm secured to the shaft H, and this crank-arm isconnected, by means of a link M, to a foot-lever N, pivoted to theplatform of the car. I

O is a spring connected at one end to the crank-lever L and at the otherend to the car, normally holding the blade F horizontally.

hen the foot-lever N is depressed, the shaft H will be rocked, forcingthe blade F downward through one of the slots C, and by manipulatingthelever K the blade F may be forced downward through any one of the slotsdesired, thereby enabling the operator to move the plate in anydirection. desired, so as to open or close the switch, and as soon asthe pressure of the foot is released from the lever N the blade F willresume its normal position.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction hereshown,as slight modifications could be made without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and usefulis- 1. In an automatic switch-operating device, a guideway-plate securedin the road-bed between the rails, said guideway-plate provided with twolongitudinal slots formed therethrough, a wedge-shape plate pivoted atits narrowest end to the under side of the guid eway-plate, the free orlarger end of the wedgeshape plate attached to the movable member of theswitch, one of the inclined sides of the wedge-shape plate adapted toalways cross one of the slots through the guideway-plate, a flat bladecarried by the car adapted to be forced downward through the slots formoving the wedge-shape plate to one side or the other, means for movingsaid blade laterally to allow the same to enter either one of the slots,means for rocking the blade downward, and a spring for returning theblade to its I10IiIIlal position, as and for the purpose speci fiec.

2. In an automatic switch-operati ng device, a guideway-plate located inthe road-bed between the rails, said plate provided with longitudinalslots formed therethrough, a wedgeshape plate pivoted at its smaller endto the under side of the guideway-plate between the two slots, thelarger end of the wedge-shape plate connected to the movable member orthe switch, one of the inclined sides of the wedgeshape plate adapted tocross the slot nearest the movable member of the switch when the switchis closed, the other side of the wedgeshape plate adapted to cross theother slot when the switch is open, a flat blade carried by the car, aspring for normally holding said blade upward, means for forcing saidblade downward to cause it to enter one or the other of the slots, meansfor shifting said blade laterally to bring it above either one of theslots, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the character described,

the combination of railroad-rails, movable member of a switch and carwith a guidewayplate located in the road-bed between the rails, saidguideway-plate provided with longitudinal slots formed therethrough, awedge-shape plate pivoted at its smaller end underneath theguideway-plate between the two slots, a link connecting the larger endof the wedge-shape plate with the movable switch member, one inclinedside of the wedge-shape plate adapted to cross one slot when the switchis closed, and the other side adapted to cross the other slot when theswitch is open, a transverse shaft carried by the car and journaled inbearings depending therefrom, a flat blade slidably mounted upon saidshaft but adapted to rotate therewith, a foot-lever carried by the earadapted to rock said shaft, a spring for returning said shaft to itsnormal position, a double-treadle foot-lever carried by the car engagingthe movable blade and adapted to slide the same in either direction tobring the blade above either of the slots in the guideway-plate, as andfor the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANNE PAMP. WVitnesses:

MARY E. HAMER, L. W. MORRISON.

